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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We have reached that point at the end of Acts Chapter 22, where Paul has been arrested for his own safety - in Jerusalem - adjacent to The Temple. Because of his intense and zealous desire to speak about Jesus Christ to those who have been falsely accusing him, he gives his testimony as to how he personally met the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ.
He shares these highly intimate spiritual details with those men accusing him. It is a very Jewish account, but as soon as he mentions Gentiles, he lost his audience. The Roman soldiers have to bustle him into the barracks because of the increasing violence coming from those who have been falsely accusing him of desecrating and contaminating and polluting the Temple.
The Commander of the Roman soldiers ordered that Paul be flogged and questioned in order to discover what the trouble really was. As they stretch Paul out to torture him, Paul asks, "Is it legal to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?" "Is what you are about to do right and proper and above board?" He just raises the question.
The Roman Centurion went to the Commanding Officer of The Antonio Fortress - that is, the H.Q. of the Roman Garrison in Jerusalem - and reported what was happening. "What are you going to do? This man is a Roman citizen."
The Commanding Officer went to Paul to check out the facts - a very important thing to do at all times - "Tell me - are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am." Paul replied.
Paul does not argue, or speak aggressively or defensively. He is not nasty. He does not react the way other people might.
The Commander confesses and admits - "I had to pay a big price for my citizenship."
A man could do that in those days if he were not born a Roman citizen. At a price you could buy Roman nationality. Paul says, "I was born a citizen." It was then decided not to torture him - which was totally illegal - but put him on trial.
You can be born a Roman - you can be born a Jew - you can be born British - but you cannot be born a Christian! You only become a Christian by being 'Born Again'.
Each of us has to be transformed as Paul was. We have to be transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. It has to happen. It can happen anywhere - at any time - in any situation - but it MUST happen. Would I be right in assuming this has happened to you as you read this study? If not, what are you going to do about it? It is a most serious issue.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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